


Missing Child Protocol

by Merytsetesh



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: #ghostfluffweek2020, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22657972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merytsetesh/pseuds/Merytsetesh
Summary: Six year old Mindy didn’t mean to get lost in the hotel while her family was on vacation. Luckily, a very friendly skeleton man in a dress helps her out.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 48





	Missing Child Protocol

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ruby Slippers and Apple Tree](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20664623) by [Bloody_Vixen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloody_Vixen/pseuds/Bloody_Vixen). 



> This is based on the time I helped find a lost child while I was employed at a big hotel, and my weird 6 year old daughter who 100% talks like this. 
> 
> Written for the Ghost Fluff Week on Tumblr. The prompt was "getting ciriced."
> 
> Inspired by Bloody_Vixen’s “Ruby Slippers and Apple Tree” which made me want to write kid fic.

Mindy was going to be in so much trouble.

Her family was on their first ever Vacation. Road trips to visit relatives didn't count, because they did that every year to visit her cousins for Christmas. This was different, because they were going to California and taking a plane since it was too far to drive. Mindy had never been on a plane before, and even though their flight was late, it was still an adventure. The airport even had a ton of shops and restaurants like a mall. Mama bought everyone snacks while they waited to board, and Carlos let her watch Voltron on his phone.

It took forever to get off the plane and get their luggage, and then they had to pick up the rental car to drive to the hotel. They were only staying for one night before driving to Mama’s best friend Brianna’s house. Mindy wasn’t sure which was more exciting, seeing Brianna again (who always painted Mindy’s nails when she came to visit), or the hotel.

Staying at a hotel was another first for Mindy. Every time she’d ever gone somewhere they stayed with family or friends, but Mama said since they were spending most of their vacation with Brianna they could afford one night in a nice hotel. It even had a hot tub and pool, so Mindy had packed her swimsuit and mermaid tail.

While Mama checked them in, Mindy looked around the lobby with eyes the size of dinner plates. Even this late in the evening the hotel was a hub of activity, people hurrying to and fro pulling luggage and pushing bell carts. The lighting in the lobby was warm and golden, reflecting off the polished floor tiles. There were potted plants and framed art hung on the walls. Music echoed down the hall, and when she craned her neck she saw a man sitting at a piano. She’d started to wander over to better see, when Mama called her name. Then they were headed to their room, Mama and Carlos pulling the luggage while Mindy followed along.

As they’d passed a bubbling fountain, Mindy had hopped up into the stone ledge to walk along it like a balance beam, but when she reached the end and jumped down she didn’t see her mother. She looked around, but in the sea of bodies she couldn't spot Mama's hair or Carlos' bright blue hoodie.

They’d probably just kept walking, she had thought, so she’d hurried to catch up.

Only she never did. She didn’t see anyone anywhere. When she came to an intersection where the atrium branched off into different hallways, she wasn’t sure which way her family had gone.

With a sudden spike of fear, Mindy realized she was lost.

Mama had taught her what to do, though. If she or her brother ever got lost they were supposed to stay put until Mama found them. So she found a big red cushy bench to wait.

Mindy didn’t know how long she sat on the bench, swinging her feet, but it felt like a long time. She knew she wasn’t good at telling time, and ten minutes might as well be an hour for all she could tell the difference. But Mama still hadn’t found her, and she wondered if it might be time for phase two of being lost. The second thing to do if one became lost, Mama said, was to find an adult. Not just any adult though. A police officer or security guard was best, but a lot of places didn’t have those. If they were in a store, she was supposed to find someone who worked there wearing a uniform. Mindy wasn’t in a store, though, she was in a hotel, and she didn’t remember which way to go to get to the front where the ladies at the desk were. The next kind of adult to find was another parent with kids, but Mindy didn’t see any other kids around. It was just a bunch of adults, probably because all the kids were in bed by now.

Miserable, the tears welled in her eyes. Mindy was tough, but this wasn’t like falling at the park and getting back up to keep playing. Lost was serious and dangerous and scary. She let out a sob, but before she could dissolve into full on bawling, she saw down the hall a group of men all wearing the same black suits and shiny shoes. It didn’t look like a store uniform, but they were all wearing the same thing and looked like they were busy talking about something important. They stood in a circle with their backs to Mindy, looking at a sheet of paper.

Figuring this was as close to an employee as she was going to get, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and walked up to them. They didn’t notice her right away, so she tugged on the long belt one of them was wearing.

“Hey. I’m Mindy and I’m lost and I need help. My Mama is here but I can’t find her,” she said exactly the way she’d ben taught.

The man turned around, and to her shock he had a silver face with horns and no mouth. They all did, and she took a step back, suddenly nervous.

“Oh, a human baby!” One of them exclaimed, voiced muffled, and Mindy realized it was a mask. She couldn’t see his expression, but he sounded really happy to see her, not annoyed like Mama was when she pulled on her clothes to get her attention. Only he’d called her a baby, and any nerves she may have had talking to a stranger disappeared in favor of indignation.

“Hey! I’m _not_ a baby! I’m six! I go to school and ride a bike and can read really good.”

“Yeah, she’s a young lady, you brute.” The shortest one shoved the big one. Mama always told Mindy to stop hitting her brother, that hitting wasn’t going to get her what she wanted, and she wondered if they were all brothers. Having two big brothers instead of just one sounded pretty awful, but maybe it wasn’t so bad if you were another boy, not a girl.

“Who is this?”

She spun around and saw a man dressed in one of the fanciest, prettiest outfit she’d ever seen in real life. He had on a shiny black…dress? It probably wasn't a dress, it wasn't poofy like what Mindy's cousin Ariel wore for her quinceanera, but it looked just as expensive. Robe? She didn’t know what it was, but it had lacey gold edges and was purple on the inside. On his head was a pointy gold hat, but not pointy like a witch or Santa. All of it was decorated with the same symbol, like an upside down cross with a broken circle. But that wasn’t even the weirdest thing about him: his face was covered in black and white make-up, like a sugar skull without the icing flowers.

She was so stunned that for once she couldn’t think of what to say. Suddenly shy, she stepped behind the leg of one of the masked men.

“This is Mindy and she is lost and needs help finding her mom,” he parroted back.

At his answer the skull faced man looked sad. He knelt down in front of Mindy, robes fanning out around him, to look her in the eyes. They were two different colors, like her neighbor Sam’s pet husky Balto.

“Your eyes are very pretty,” she told him, because it was polite to compliment people.

His lips spread into a wide, toothy grin. “Why thank you. Now, you said you are looking for your mother? My ghouls will gladly help you find them. Oh! Where are my manners? I am Papa Emeritus the Third, and these are my Nameless Ghouls.” The trio in the silver masks bowed, like she was a princess, and Mindy grinned back.

“That’s a real long name. Is that your real name? My real name isn’t Mindy, it’s Miranda Celeste Mendoza, and that’s why everyone calls me Mindy.”

“You are right, it isn’t my real name, but only my family call me my birth name. How about you call me Papa for short?”

“Are you a dad?” He didn’t look like anyone’s dad she’s ever seen. Were the men in masks his kids? She didn’t know how the safety rule of finding an adult with kids worked it the kids were already grown up.

“I have many children, but not the way you mean. I am more like, eh, a stepfather?” He laughed. “I suppose you could say I adopt lost souls.”

“I’m lost, but I don’t want to be adopted because I’m not an orphan like Harry Potter. Mama said I should stay put if I get lost.”

“Your mama sounds very smart. We shall do exactly that in case she comes back here.” He stood back up and gestured to one of the men in suits. “Ghoul, go to the front desk. Tell them to radio security, that we have a lost little girl with us named Mindy. I would imagine they are already searching for her.”

Then Papa held out his hand, and Mindy saw his gloves has gold nails shaped like claws. She took it, careful not to squeeze too hard, and led him back over to the big bench with the squishy cushions she’d been sitting on earlier. She crawled up onto it, and he sat down as elegantly as a king on a throne. The two remaining ghouls did not sit, but stood flanking them like royal guards, arms crossed.

“So tell me, Miss Mindy, what has you up so late and not tucked into bed?”

“Our plane was late, and we had to wait at the airport for _hours_ ,” Mindy explained, swinging her legs as she watched the hotel guest pass by. A lot of them were craning their necks to look in her direction, pointing and whispering. “I sleeped on the plane, so I’m not tired, but Mama said when we get to the room we have to go straight to bed. But she walks really fast and I couldn’t keep up.” She didn’t mention how her mom had wanted to hold her hand, but Mindy had kept twisting her hand out of her grip, which she wouldn’t have done if Mama hadn’t been gripping her hand so hard anyway.

“It sounds like you have had quite the adventure already, and you only just arrived. Where are you from?”

“We live in San Antonio.”

“Ah, Texas? I have been there. I have been many, many places, all over the world. I travel for my work. I am a musician.”

Mindy’s jaw dropped. She had never met a real musician before, or at least not one who that was their job. Her tío who played the guitar didn’t count, his real job was at an office.

“I play guitar, but usually I sing.” He leaned in and whispered like he was telling her a secret. “Sometimes I play the kazoo.”

She wrinkled her nose. “That’s not a real instrument.”

“It most definitely is,” he said, and one of the ghouls snorted.

“When I grow up I want to be a singer. Do you know Katy Perry? She’s my favorite, I’m her biggest fan.”

“Not personally. My music is…very different. We are a rock band called Ghost.”

“Oh, that’s why you’re dressed like it’s Halloween. I get it now.” That explained the silver masks and why Papa dressed like a vampire with clawed gloves. It also explained why so many people walking by were staring and taking out their phones to snap photos. Papa was a rock star.

He smiled. “That is…part of the reason.”

“Is Halloween your favorite holiday? Halloween is my favorite, and Día de los Muertos, too. And Christmas, because you get presents. I have lots of favorites. But Halloween is better because you get candy AND you can dress up. Last year I was a police, but this year I want to be Harley Quinn. She’s a super hero, but kind of bad sometimes. Sometimes I be bad, too, but most of the time I’m good.”

“Then you are in good company. My ghouls are very naughty, and I am their wicked prince.”

At that Mindy was so surprised she jumped off of the bench and starting hopping up and down. “You’re a prince?!”

Papa laughed. “Calm down, mia bambina. I am not royalty, but I _was_ born into an ancient bloodline—a very old family. You see this hat?” He lifted it off his head and held it for her to see. She wanted so badly to touch it, but Mama always told her to look with her eyes and not her hands. “It is very special. It is called a miter, and it’s a bit like a crown. My brothers wore one, and before them our father did, and his father, and so on back through the centuries—hundreds of years. My clothing is special, too. I wear the chasuble for rituals—that’s what we call our concerts. In fact, my ghouls and I are holding a small ritual tonight.”

Mindy was practically vibrating with excitement, but anything else she might have asked was interrupted by the approach of a couple of teenagers.

“Papa Emeritus? Can we take a photo with you?” One asked. He was wearing a shirt with Papa’s face on it. The girl with him had purple hair, which Mindy thought was the coolest thing ever because purple was her favorite color and now she wanted purple hair, too.

“Of course.“ Papa stood up, brushing the creases out of his chasuble, and opened his arms for the two teens. One held out his phone for a selfie, getting a few with just the three of them huddled together and then another with the ghouls as well.

“You are coming to the show tonight?” Papa asked, shaking their hands.

“Yes! We’ve been looking forward to it for months.”

“Thank you for your devotion. I will look for you in the crowd tonight.”

The teens said their goodbyes and left, grinning ear to ear as they scrolled through the new photos on their phones. When Papa sat back down, Mindy scooted right up to him.

“You’re _famous_ ,” she said in awe.

“Many would say ‘infamous.’”

Mindy was about to ask what infamous meant when a familiar voice called across the hotel hallway.

“Mindy! Oh Dios mío, mija!”

Mindy’s mother Julitza threw her arms around her daughter, tears of relief pouring down her face. Following behind her was a lady in a suit, a security guard, the third ghoul, and Mindy’s brother Carlos, all looking relieved.

“Mama I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to run off please don’t ground me—“ Mindy babbled, and she started crying again, too.

“You are grounded forever! You are not leaving my sight! I swear if you ever scare me like that again—” and then Mama started speaking in Spanish faster than Mindy could keep up, but she got the gist of it. Even though Mindy was being smothered she was so happy she didn’t care.

“You Unholiness, I’m Lorrie, the head of security on property. Thank you for your help locating Mindy,” said the woman in the suit and earpiece. The guard with her was speaking into a crackling radio attached to the front of his uniform. Foot traffic in the hallway congested at people slowed down to watch.

“It was no trouble, I was happy to help.”

Security spoke with Papa for a moment, getting his statement to document the incident and also to check in with their most high profile guest currently in house before leaving him to his business, but Mindy was oblivious to the adults’ conversation.

“Mama, I made a new friend! I don’t remember his name, it’s really long.” Her face was squished into her mother’s shoulder, who leaned back so her hyperactive daughter wasn’t shouting into her ear. “He’s a singer and his rock band is having a show tonight! I know you’re going to say no, but pleaseplease _please_ can we go?”

“Mindy, it’s two hours past your bedtime, we’re jetlagged, and it’s been an exhausting day. Plus we don’t really have money in the budget for all of us to go to a concert—“

“You would not need tickets, you would be my guests.” Papa interjected. “But if you feel it is best to get your children in bed, I understand.”

For the first time, Jultiza looked up from her daughter long enough to notice the man who found her. Carlos had been staring at him and his masked companions the entire time, the twelve year old for once speechless as he watched the drama unfold.

Out of long, old habit from years of Catholic school, Julitza formed the sign of the cross, then abruptly realized that would probably be insulting, if he was who she suspected. “Thank you so much for finding her. I’m sorry, normally I hold her hand when we’re in big crowds, but the luggage—“

Papa waved his hand dismissively. “No need to explain. And I hardly found her, she found me. She said it was important to stay put when one is lost.”

Julitza hugged her daughter again and kissed the top of her head. “You did exactly the right thing, baby.” She stood up and held out her hand to shake. “Thank you, Mister…?” she trailed off.

“Papa Emeritus the Third.” He took her hand, but instead of shaking it he bent his head and pressed a feather light kiss to her knuckles, like he was some kind of Victorian gentleman. Behind her Carlos gagged.

“I’ve seen you on the news. You’re the Satanist Pope.”

“Guilty as charged," he quipped.

“Can’t say I’m a fan, but I did hear about how your church donated all those tampons and pads to that women’s shelter. Plus you helped find my daughter. So I may not agree with what you sing about, but I’m not the type to judge how anyone lives, especially when you aren’t hurting anyone.”

“Than you are the rarest kind of Christian: the kind who acts Christ-like.”

She sighed. “I know what you mean. My family is Catholic, but I don’t really consider myself one anymore, not with all the scandals and cover ups. I still have faith in Jesus, but not the Church, you know? And why am I telling you all this?” She shook her head.

“I am a priest, taking confession is part of the job, though mine normally go a little differently. But anyways! You and your children are welcome to attend our show tonight. It is an acoustic set at a small venue, so not too crowded or loud for little ears.” He winked. “No human sacrifice or orgies either.”

“Mom, if you let us go I promise I’ll do all the dishes for like, a month,” said Carlos.

“You’ll do the dishes anyway because I say so.”

“But this can be educational! I can tell my band teacher I’ve been to a concert! Maybe I can get extra credit for this.”

"He can tell his teacher it's a Grammy award winning performance," Papa pointed out helpfully.

"See?! You're always saying how important education is!"

“You just want to brag to your friends that you went to a Satanic rock concert.” Julitza threw up her hands dramatically. “What the hell, why not? We’re on vacation and it’s free.”

Mindy was so excited she literally squealed, startling the ghouls. One held up his hand to Carlos for a high five, who returned it even though he was a little weirded out.

“Excellent. Why don’t you go ahead and get your things up to your room? There’s still over an hour until the show starts. I’ll have a car out front to take you to the venue in say, half an hour?”

“That’s perfect, I’ll get changed and we’ll be ready. Thank you for the invitation, and again for helping Mindy. Carlos, Mindy, c’mon.”

“Wait!” Before Julitza could hold her back Mindy threw herself at Papa’s legs, nearly knocking him off his feet. She hugged him with all her strength. “Thank you Mr. Papa!”

“You are very welcome, child. I will see you at the ritual.”

And that’s how the the highlight of Mindy’s vacation ended up being the moment a skeleton man on a stage held her hand and sang softly into a microphone how she’d be lost without him.

**Author's Note:**

> Not totally happy with it (I wanted to include more random people at the hotel clutching their pearls in horror at the skeleton pope in the elevator), but I needed to finish it so I could move on to my next Ghost fic. I'm feeling the need to write either silly stuff or smut. Or both.


End file.
